The geostrategic importance of the Thessaloniki-Ruse railway axis

The Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Costas Karamanlis, described the railway axis Thessaloniki – Alexandroupoli – Kavala – Burgas – Varna – Rousse as a “project of geostrategic importance”.

During his meetings in Bulgaria, Mr. Karamanlis noted that this axis will give impetus to freight transport and will have a positive environmental sign.

The meetings

The Greek Minister had a meeting with the Deputy Prime Minister of Bulgaria in charge of EU funds and Minister of Finance, Mr. Assen Vassiliev, the Bulgarian Minister of Transport and Communications, Mr. Nikolai Sabev and the Minister of Energy, Mr. Nikolov. He then met in person with Mr. Sambef.

In his statements after the meetings, Mr. Karamanlis highlighted the Greek-Bulgarian consensus on issues of network development and issues of transnational cooperation in the field of transport.

“Regional development and cohesion in our region goes through the coordinated effort to form common routes and continuous flow corridors. “Our neighborhood creates the appropriate conditions for the development of the ports of the two countries, in the logic of an integrated railway axis connecting them”, noted the Minister of Infrastructure and Transport.

“The most appropriate moment”
The Minister of Infrastructure and Transport assessed that the given time is the most appropriate for the further promotion of the cooperation between Greece and Bulgaria, as the process of revision of the Trans-European Network is in progress.

According to Mr. Karamanlis, “the cooperation between the two countries will be strengthened both in the European fora and in the Council of EU Ministries of Transport”.

During the meetings, the development of the cross-border road connections Greece – Bulgaria was also discussed. Greek concerns about road freight transport also emerged.

Strengthening cooperation

“The observance of the Community and national acquis on both sides and the tightening of controls within the framework of legality, is the path to the mutual and beneficial development of the sector in both countries”, Mr. Karamanlis underlined.

“At critical times, such as the ones we are going through, with the geopolitical chessboard pulsating, our orientation towards sustainable development, the carbonization of transport, the development of European Development Corridors and transnational cooperation must be maintained and strengthened,” he added. Of Infrastructure and Transport, expressing his joy for the understanding on the issues and for the codification of the joint actions of Greece-Bulgaria for the immediate future.